The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has approved Bolt to immediately resume ride-hailing services at Nigerian airports after reaching an operational agreement with the platform.
The development follows a dispute between FAAN and the ride-hailing company that temporarily disrupted Bolt’s airport operations and sparked complaints from passengers.
In a statement issued on Thursday, FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, said the disagreement was linked to longstanding concerns over safety, security and accountability involving commercial and e-hailing vehicles operating at airports.
The authority said the concerns include unauthorised passenger pickups, solicitation and situations where drivers operate across multiple ride-hailing platforms without adequate oversight.
FAAN also apologised to passengers affected by the disruption.
“We sincerely apologise for the difficulties this caused our passengers,” Mr. Henry Agbebire, director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, confirmed in a statement made available to Techeconomy, adding that FAAN had “listened, reflected and made the necessary adjustments.”
FAAN Clarifies Airport Transport Management System
The authority explained that the concerns surrounding airport transport operations led to the introduction of ACHRAMS, an airport car-hire management system.
FAAN stressed that ACHRAMS is not an e-hailing application and does not compete with Bolt, Uber or other mobility platforms.
The agency also responded to criticism over airport taxi fares, rejecting suggestions that it had recently introduced or imposed the rates being discussed publicly.
According to FAAN, the fares existed before the current controversy and were not substantially different from rates previously charged.
The authority said ACHRAMS had mainly made existing fares more visible to passengers, leading to increased public scrutiny because the rates appeared higher than the prices many passengers were accustomed to paying through e-hailing services.
FAAN Says Discussions With Other E-Hailing Platforms Continue
FAAN said it is still engaging with other e-hailing operators and expects the discussions to conclude “in the coming days.” The authority did not specify which platforms remain affected by the ongoing discussions.
It maintained that its actions were motivated by regulatory, safety and security concerns rather than commercial interests.
FAAN also denied any intention to establish a monopoly over transportation services at Nigerian airports, saying its goal is to ensure a safer and more accountable airport transport system.
The authority expressed appreciation to passengers for their patience and understanding during the temporary disruption and reiterated its commitment to resolving outstanding issues with mobility operators.
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